When stapling plastic, I usually put a small square of extra strong duct tape on (the place I will be stapling) before stapling, then the duct tape helps to hold together the plastic much longer.
I cut up milk jugs into strips and place the plastic milk jug strips on top of my plastic. I then staple both the plastic milk jug strips and plastic to the boards. The milk jug plastic strips reinforces the stapled plastic. I will let you know how long it lasts.
My old neighbor would paint milk jugs black, fill them with water and put them in his cold frames, they would heat up during the day and give off heat all night. He did the same thing in his green house with black 55gallon barrels.
This is a good idea! I usually cut the bottom off if my milk jugs and use them as little individual green houses for my plants, but I'm thinking of trying to put in a cold frame or two.
A couple thoughts. My Dad and I made a couple cold frames in the past. Admittedly, they weren't for raised beds, but I thought I'd throw this out here as another set of options. We used plywood for the sides. And rather than nailing or screwing the sides, all sides were affixed together with hinges. That means that come late spring/summer, if you choose to remove the cold frame (as we did), once you had removed the frame, you could literally fold it flat for easy storage. We also used the wavy fiberglass panels for the top, rather than sheet film. In fairness, though, this was back in the 1970s, and I'm pretty sure transparent sheet film wasn't commonly available at the time. Good food for thought with what you've done, though. Thanks for your initiative and for giving a walkthrough. The stays are a brilliant idea for anchoring to an existing raised bed. Wind is definitely a problem. I do wonder how well your film will hold up against the weight of snow. I imagine you're going to bird-dog that, and will remove any snow accumulation so you can continue collecting solar heat. while mitigating the chance of roof collapse .
When I had a Michigan cold frame I placed a row of plastic milk jugs filled with water in the back. The sun would warm the water and the heat was given off all night and kept the frame a bit warmer.
For thermal mass add several football to basketball sized dark colored rocks along the back wall so that they gather the suns heat.(solid bricks will work also you just need a lot more also paint them black to help absorb heat.).
Nice job on a critical concept that needs to be ramped up as the solar minimum approaches. Up north of 50°, and in the mountains I built a very overbuilt, yet fairly cheap set of 12 frames that occupy existing, well planned beds. I justified the extra time, labor & expense by factoring their lifespan of at least a decade. I also made half the same size of 14' X36" outer dimensions, with another six of them in sizes descending by 6 inches in length and 2 inches of width . As I have to disassemble others as they degrade, I can cut the materials down to fit the next smaller sizes. Your stays are common sense & are vital, but place them on the interiors - I'll get to that. I use screws for all assemblies for ease, plus the conceptions & ends last longer - no banging impacts and that inevitable reworking are a breeze with screws. I cut strip of heavy building felt between all wood layers prior to tightly. I used1.5 inch thick Styrofoam fastened to the exterior, and that layer extends 6 inches below grade. The interiors get dug up, Styrofoam gets mutilated, so stays to the inside, styro board to the exterior. My interiors that receive sun, are simply painted black (before assembly is easiest). My lids have poly top & bottom for that critical dead air layer. Top of lid has 1 x 3 ribs every 16 inches for snow. Poly bulges from loading, you want to avoid that. Many places can get a big load overnight. This avoid worry & repercussions. Several of my frames also have a top layer of 1.5" grid, lightweight/affordable "kennel wire" to keep varmints put of the tempting crops. With well dug soils 6 inches or deeper, we're good for any night plunging 5-8 degrees below freezing, days at 3 degrees beliw freezing, or 4 days at just below freezing. Another cool tip, put a notice at your local curling club / ice rink, asking for unused/damaged curling rocks. We've scrounged up over a dozen the past couple years for next to nothing. They're granite, and you can pre warm the suckers in the house ambient air or warm spot, and drop 1 or 2 into a bed to buy extra degree days. We got a forecast, freak 15° degree below zero, one night blast this October 2nd and everything in these frames held wuthering minimum damage. That, is money well spent. Making very durable, weather resistant and fairly well insulated beds & frame boxes need not be expensive and multi unit assembly makes that cost come way down on the kabor/time side of the equation. Just plan ahead, and build by preset module sizes and your waste will be next to nil, regardless of materials you procure, or climate you're building for. Love your videos & enthusiastic/positive approach.
I have learned so much from your RUclips channel! I ordered my seeds from you this year, am building raised beds as well as cold frames and am learning a wealth of knowledge!! Thank-you so much!!!
Tip for tightening your plastic: use cardboard or thin wood as a shim and roll the plastic around it once or twice. Doing that on all 4 sides will allow you to pull more on the plastic without ripping it where the staples hold it. Also you can use the plastic you trimmed off the door to the cold frame to seal the gaps in the boards at no additional cost!
Well done! I’d recommend a collar of firing strips to hold the plastic on as that will offer more strength against snow than just the staples. Also, use screws rather than nails to make the attachments less permanent. Less risk of damage undoing something that way. Can’t wait to build mine! Cheers, and thanks for making this!!
well if you decide to take it apart then put screws in the hole from the nails would work with a low chance of splitting the wood because they are so close
Used canning lids (or flats as mom called them) would work for covering the knotholes in your frames, attach them on the inside then fill the hole with silicone or expanding foam, then cover the outside with another lid..(you could also use can lids created by the can opener). .. just a thought. I loved this video and will try to make a cold frame some time this winter... another wonderful idea. Thanks Luke.
For sealing gaps..between boards, use aquarium safe silicon. It remains flexible. Safe for aquariums..safe for food planrs. I'd even use it between polycarbonate panels and wood frames for cold frame covers.
We have a west facing bay window. We planted peas, beans, beets, radishes, spinach, corn salad and lettuce. We planted last week and have sprouts popping up this week. We are excited to see how our winter garden grows.
Tyvek wrap would be good for making it airtight- like they wrap houses before putting siding on Bubble wrap is supposed to work well also and helps insulate too!
All good ideas, I'm thinking that a little weather stripping couldn't hurt either. Works for doors...but having too much of an air tight seal, thinking about it now...would probably promote mould.
I'm wondering if you would ever consider lining the inside of the frame with the Silver emergency space blankets to reflect the light around a bit and add to the air tightness of the inside?
@@bhuongnguyen1871 This was already more than $50, even 5 years ago when this video was made. He likes to.....exaggerate....a lot for popularity's sake.
Wow, I never knew you carried seeds on your site until I saw it in someone's comment lol. Just purchased 24 packs for next year. Thanks a bunch for such a great experience. Happy Growing!
@@ancientorganicarts2310 fantastic! Better than I thought. I am in Albuquerque, NM where gardening requires a lot of research and prayer! The seeds I bought from him came up one for one! I way overplanted as a result. Good problem to have.
Air tight: black plastic wrapped around inside and stapled covered Staples covered with tyvex tape. top plastic: wrap around access with 1*3 or1*4 and use masonry form nails(double headed 16d) to secure the 1* material. Staples only will not hold in a wind and snow load.
Im making a few with old windows and a few with plastic. Going to split up all my seedlings between each type and record my findings. Hopefully they both end up working out.
Working on building a few of these myself over the next few days. Just an idea for people that may have materials laying around and not realizing they could be used for cold frames. In my case, I'm using some old sliding glass doors for my tops. Built the base to the dimensions of the door and gave it the same 35 degree slant. The sliding doors are heavy and can withstand snow with no worries. Gonna make a few smaller ones as well with old storm windows a neighbor had tossed out. Good luck with your project Luke and to everyone else working on growing through the winter!
One more thing as well - For insulating the air gaps, I had an old queen size memory foam mattress topper that I cut strips from and glued it to the lid's frame (basically free weather stipping). The weight of the sliding glass door against the memory foam does a wonderful job sealing up spots. As the foam compresses under the weight, it becomes more dense and lets out next to no air.
Thanks for sharing this project, I've wanted to cold frame my raised bed for a while, but really couldn't afford one. The construction itself is within anyone's abilities to build, which is the best part.
I have to say Luke, What a great video! I've been gardening for many years now and this is a great teaching moment for me! Although we do not get a lot of cold here in central Florida. This was great to learn! Thanks so much! Very informative!
I'm from southwest Michigan, been looking for a good video on how to cultivate morel mushrooms in my home or garden. Would that be something you're interested in doing/making a video about in the future?
"Give me a big enough lever , and i can move the world, or the cold frame!" my hubby being a contractor suggested plain old wood glue since it expands and is cheap. your cold frame inspired me to get the hubby building, starting plants tonight after work!THANK YOU! I agree the p ready made kits prices are ridiculous and don't look any better than yours!
Hmmm. Glad you mentioned escape of heat through the cracks. I have a few deep beds and I didn't fill in the gaps. There was some nice steam coming off of it. I bet now, that I'm losing all that warmth. I planted some spinach and lettuce a few weeks ago in the cold frames. Seeing sprouts! Lights are reclaimed glass door and window. Seems to keep the warmth in.
Hey! Did you figure out what to use to airtight your cold frame? I figured you have found the best solution by now? :) I have built 5 cold frames with this video, and am now stuck with what to use to airtight them. I don’t want to use glue since I will remove them in Spring. Looking forward to your response! Thanks :)
You can also get the plastic tighter and have more protection from the wind. By screwing on 1by1 s along the line of where you would normally staple. We used that on our last greenhouse.
I just built two of these today. Only I didn't finish the lids, because I'm working with 1/4" thick panes of glass. Any tricks on framing the glass ( 66" long by 29" wide) so I can make a lid out of it. I gotta say that if it's too involved, I just may end using your trick of double walled poly. And some reinforcement strapping over the poly before stapling it down.
I would varnish the cold frame. 2 maybe 3 coats. This would seal the thin gaps in the frame plus it will last 3 times as long be for rotting away. That's just me though
Dope video! I'm on the way to the allotment now to finish a cold frame and thought let me check youtube see if I missed anything. You mentioned having the angle face the sun.. or something like that. I never even thought about that. 🙏✌
I'm 40 miles south of you and my unheated porch reached 84 degrees today. Crazy heat wave. I was outside without a shirt, shoes or socks. Something like that or any greenhouse or low tunnel being air tight would worry me as I work a full time job and wouldn't be able to vent it.
Hey love you guys! You don't need the stay attached to anything but the carbon copy one the one above can simply rest on the one under it and the "stay" will still keep it in line.
I have seeds sprouting all over my part of the garden that I sectioned off as part of a winter chicken run. If you plant some seeds and cover them with all those leaves you have around, they will sprout. I added about 4-5 inches of oak leaves to keep mud down. I feed some whole grains to my chickens. Oats, Wheat, Sunflower, Barley, Milo and one other I can't remember right now lol. I throw it out in this area, only covered predator proof fencing so it gets rained on. I'm in Oregon. If I take a pitch fork and dig around there are thousands of sprouts now, Dec. 30th 2019. The chickens love them and the ones they miss will add nutrients to the garden. I was really shocked the Sunflower seeds had sprouted. I thought it had to be 60 or 70 degrees Fahrenheit for Sunfliwers to sprout. I know the chicken manure has added some heat but it's a nice surprise. I throw it all over so the wild birds are happy this winter also.
Good Vid. Another way to justify your build is the cost per its expected life span. It would probably last at least 10 yrs (minus the plastic, so a little extra there in yr 6) so that would still be about $6.00 per year. One plant per bed will return that factor and you will be actually getting dozens per bed so the cost is almost inconsequential when figuring your actual increased returns. Ciao
1/2" foam insulation board is about $15 a 4 x 8 sheet. 2-3 sheets. I know this would increase your cost, but it would stop the air from escaping and add some insulation to maintain heat.
Radishes actually germinated really well for me in the low 40s, black spanish, daikon and watermelon, so variety didn't make a difference and nearly every seed sprouted
BTW... I would wrap the outside with tyvec like others suggest...then consider mylar emergency blankets put on the inside in addition to bounce around the sun's rays just like you would do in a grow tent. You don't want it absolutely air tight... that as you know will lock in moisture and could cause a fungus issue.
Hi there! I've been thinking of using tyvek to line the INSIDEof my raised bed: 1) to make the wood last longer because im using heat treated pallet wood, plus i'm treating them with oil; and 2) for insulation. Do you think tyvek against soil would make it a point?
Luke, Do you remember where you got your $5 - 6 ml, 25’ x 10’ clear plastic? I went on Amazon and they’re $25 and $28. Sure would love to find it cheaper somewhere else. We love your videos. I have learned so much from you. Watched a couple of your videos before we went to Virginia, and then We saw you at Front Royal at the homesteaders conference, but didn’t know who you really were then, and so when we heard about you from Jess at Roots and Refuge I tuned into your channel. That’s when I told my hubby, “I saw that kid in Virginia”, LOL. Thanks again for your videos. Margie, Eddie, and Colleen Guy. From Southern Maryland. “Hanging with the Guys “
This past week, I picked up lumber and storm windows left out for free. My cold frames cost me 8 screws each. Check out craigslist and FB free groups, ask around, keep your eye on free piles at the curb on trashed day, borrow your own storm windows. One Yard Revolution Patrick rocks the cheap cold frame.
I love this project but have no power tools ...or know anyone that can help! If it wasn't angled not sure if it would be much use...but I really love this design thanks!
Question - what about painting the inside black ?? Would that help the wood get warmer and then release it during the night ? Rigid insulation with the silver stuff on one side for the inside ? Thank's for the info. Stay safe and healthy. God bless
Hopefully the center support will be enough for the plastic when you get a foot of snow on top! My mini hoop collapsed under about 7 inches here in west Michigan.
Are you considering spreaders for the lid to lessen the snow / ice load on the poly? Consider foil wrapped insulation to tighten air gaps also. I know, always easy to offer thoughts after the fact. But hey, new and improved too...
I've been trying to grow tenderloins, but I think I'm planting them the wrong time of year. If I want them ready for summertime BBQing, when should I plant them?
Luke, thanks for all your videos, they are very informative. Sorry if this is a repeat question I looked through the comments and didn't see it, but there are a lot of comments. The 30ish degree tilt is that a constant or is it based on your Latitude in Michigan and someone living in the south would need to be steeper?
Very cool project! I hope you'll keep us updated on how your crops do with it. I'm very curious if slugs would find it a cozy wintering spot and become a problem.
Just an fyi, in my high tunnel, when I know it's going to drop below 30 degrees, I cover my crops with crop covers...It's like a warm blanket for them :)
Next time put together with treated screws better. Use a piece of foam between the two layers of plastic with give a better air barrier. Use a small, a small furrowing strip of wood on the outside edges of the plastic will hold it down and in place better for weight and wind.
Watching this in december and my mouth is just watering at all the delicious veggies in your intro! Crispy, homegrown cucumbers are the absolute best! I'm longing for them and fresh tomatoes right now! 6 months to go!
Oh Snap! you got a new intro...it's been a few months since I've watched one of your videos. I would suggest to instead of closing the holes in the wood to utilize them to water the plants inside the frame with a gutter like system inside connected to the top hole where water goes in from the outer hole then to the other side into the gutter that is either just on one side (with maybe some PVC pipes to better disperse the water evenly through the bed) or wrapping all the way around the inside of the frame (still possibly with PVC pipe going into the center of the bed for more even watering) and maybe a funnel on the outside of the hole for easier watering or for direct rain watering with a cap for when it snows or freezes to better insulate the water still in the system and keep it from freezing over hopefully. That's what came to mind when I saw the holes in the frame and if you can use this suggestion please make an update video after you've tested it and made it work for you. Happy Gardening!!!
Great stuff Luke. $50 for a cold frame is awesome. I'm moving from Illinois to Phoenix but I love everything about season extension. Going to have to do the old reverse extension in Phoenix
Great video. We used to live near Williamsburg, VA, Seeing it is a replica of a colonial town, it too has cold frames of the past. I have always dreamed of making my own. Now I know how to do so. Thanks.
Great project. Running cables corner to corner will make the "door" more rigid and keep it square. Also, what about a plywood frame with rigid foam insulation?
I look forward to the updates. I want to see how cold it gets when you still have growth. I would also LOVE to see how much produce you get out of it and if the cost works out. LOL tightwads always want to weigh the costs... but if this extends your season 2 months on each end even on cold hearty crops...that is fantastic. Also... If it means you can get crops in 2 - 3 weeks earlier and keep them covered for a week or so after the last frost date... wow that could really give you a secondary crop. (I think you need 9 more cold frames if this works.)
When stapling plastic, I usually put a small square of extra strong duct tape on (the place I will be stapling) before stapling, then the duct tape helps to hold together the plastic much longer.
I cut up milk jugs into strips and place the plastic milk jug strips on top of my plastic. I then staple both the plastic milk jug strips and plastic to the boards. The milk jug plastic strips reinforces the stapled plastic. I will let you know how long it lasts.
I use 2× 4 when I staple
@@smhollanshead good tip, but what to you use to cut the milk jugs? I'm wary they are brittle, do you use project scissors or exacto knife?
@@p_roduct9211 I use either heavy duty garden shears, tin snips, or an exacto knife.
Good idea. Like a reinforced grommet on a tarp.
My old neighbor would paint milk jugs black, fill them with water and put them in his cold frames, they would heat up during the day and give off heat all night. He did the same thing in his green house with black 55gallon barrels.
marty beard thanks for the reminder.
This is a good idea! I usually cut the bottom off if my milk jugs and use them as little individual green houses for my plants, but I'm thinking of trying to put in a cold frame or two.
A couple thoughts. My Dad and I made a couple cold frames in the past. Admittedly, they weren't for raised beds, but I thought I'd throw this out here as another set of options. We used plywood for the sides. And rather than nailing or screwing the sides, all sides were affixed together with hinges. That means that come late spring/summer, if you choose to remove the cold frame (as we did), once you had removed the frame, you could literally fold it flat for easy storage. We also used the wavy fiberglass panels for the top, rather than sheet film. In fairness, though, this was back in the 1970s, and I'm pretty sure transparent sheet film wasn't commonly available at the time. Good food for thought with what you've done, though. Thanks for your initiative and for giving a walkthrough. The stays are a brilliant idea for anchoring to an existing raised bed. Wind is definitely a problem. I do wonder how well your film will hold up against the weight of snow. I imagine you're going to bird-dog that, and will remove any snow accumulation so you can continue collecting solar heat. while mitigating the chance of roof collapse .
Putting on a layer of poultry wire before the plastic would support the weight of any snow, as well as any critter that may try to break through.
When I had a Michigan cold frame I placed a row of plastic milk jugs filled with water in the back. The sun would warm the water and the heat was given off all night and kept the frame a bit warmer.
For thermal mass add several football to basketball sized dark colored rocks along the back wall so that they gather the suns heat.(solid bricks will work also you just need a lot more also paint them black to help absorb heat.).
great idea!
Nice job on a critical concept that needs to be ramped up as the solar minimum approaches.
Up north of 50°, and in the mountains I built a very overbuilt, yet fairly cheap set of 12 frames that occupy existing, well planned beds. I justified the extra time, labor & expense by factoring their lifespan of at least a decade. I also made half the same size of 14' X36" outer dimensions, with another six of them in sizes descending by 6 inches in length and 2 inches of width . As I have to disassemble others as they degrade, I can cut the materials down to fit the next smaller sizes.
Your stays are common sense & are vital, but place them on the interiors - I'll get to that. I use screws for all assemblies for ease, plus the conceptions & ends last longer - no banging impacts and that inevitable reworking are a breeze with screws.
I cut strip of heavy building felt between all wood layers prior to tightly. I used1.5 inch thick Styrofoam fastened to the exterior, and that layer extends 6 inches below grade. The interiors get dug up, Styrofoam gets mutilated, so stays to the inside, styro board to the exterior. My interiors that receive sun, are simply painted black (before assembly is easiest).
My lids have poly top & bottom for that critical dead air layer. Top of lid has 1 x 3 ribs every 16 inches for snow. Poly bulges from loading, you want to avoid that. Many places can get a big load overnight. This avoid worry & repercussions. Several of my frames also have a top layer of 1.5" grid, lightweight/affordable "kennel wire" to keep varmints put of the tempting crops.
With well dug soils 6 inches or deeper, we're good for any night plunging 5-8 degrees below freezing, days at 3 degrees beliw freezing, or 4 days at just below freezing.
Another cool tip, put a notice at your local curling club / ice rink, asking for unused/damaged curling rocks. We've scrounged up over a dozen the past couple years for next to nothing. They're granite, and you can pre warm the suckers in the house ambient air or warm spot, and drop 1 or 2 into a bed to buy extra degree days.
We got a forecast, freak 15° degree below zero, one night blast this October 2nd and everything in these frames held wuthering minimum damage. That, is money well spent.
Making very durable, weather resistant and fairly well insulated beds & frame boxes need not be expensive and multi unit assembly makes that cost come way down on the kabor/time side of the equation. Just plan ahead, and build by preset module sizes and your waste will be next to nil, regardless of materials you procure, or climate you're building for.
Love your videos & enthusiastic/positive approach.
Great comments.
I have learned so much from your RUclips channel! I ordered my seeds from you this year, am building raised beds as well as cold frames and am learning a wealth of knowledge!! Thank-you so much!!!
Tip for tightening your plastic: use cardboard or thin wood as a shim and roll the plastic around it once or twice. Doing that on all 4 sides will allow you to pull more on the plastic without ripping it where the staples hold it. Also you can use the plastic you trimmed off the door to the cold frame to seal the gaps in the boards at no additional cost!
great ideas!
👌👌👍👍 good ideas. This is why when the society fails we stick together as communities. Survival is in numbers.
Done is better than perfect.
Well done! I’d recommend a collar of firing strips to hold the plastic on as that will offer more strength against snow than just the staples. Also, use screws rather than nails to make the attachments less permanent. Less risk of damage undoing something that way. Can’t wait to build mine! Cheers, and thanks for making this!!
Good ideas. I will see how they hold up and if modifications are needed then I will make them and bring everyone along for an update.
well if you decide to take it apart then put screws in the hole from the nails would work with a low chance of splitting the wood because they are so close
Used canning lids (or flats as mom called them) would work for covering the knotholes in your frames, attach them on the inside then fill the hole with silicone or expanding foam, then cover the outside with another lid..(you could also use can lids created by the can opener). .. just a thought. I loved this video and will try to make a cold frame some time this winter... another wonderful idea. Thanks Luke.
For sealing gaps..between boards, use aquarium safe silicon. It remains flexible. Safe for aquariums..safe for food planrs. I'd even use it between polycarbonate panels and wood frames for cold frame covers.
We have a west facing bay window. We planted peas, beans, beets, radishes, spinach, corn salad and lettuce. We planted last week and have sprouts popping up this week. We are excited to see how our winter garden grows.
Tyvek wrap would be good for making it airtight- like they wrap houses before putting siding on
Bubble wrap is supposed to work well also and helps insulate too!
good idea!
The bubble wrap idea is awesome!
All good ideas, I'm thinking that a little weather stripping couldn't hurt either. Works for doors...but having too much of an air tight seal, thinking about it now...would probably promote mould.
Hi! I've been thinking of using tyvek just because i've got so much left. Have you used it in your garden! How was it?
I'm wondering if you would ever consider lining the inside of the frame with the Silver emergency space blankets to reflect the light around a bit and add to the air tightness of the inside?
I'm pretty impressed you only used hand tools and no power tools
Man you need a cordless drill and a big box of screws for Christmas!
YES! And if he's worried about the space between the boards, he could have done some planing or sanding to smooth any dips out.
Exactly. Maybe he’s a big fan of Roy Underhill from The Woodwright’s Shop. But really, as Mike Holmes would say, “Glue it and screw it.”
did you send them to him??!!!
Well, NO because the cost will be more than 50 bucks then.
@@bhuongnguyen1871 This was already more than $50, even 5 years ago when this video was made. He likes to.....exaggerate....a lot for popularity's sake.
Wow, I never knew you carried seeds on your site until I saw it in someone's comment lol. Just purchased 24 packs for next year. Thanks a bunch for such a great experience. Happy Growing!
How did your growing with his seeds go?
@@ancientorganicarts2310 fantastic! Better than I thought. I am in Albuquerque, NM where gardening requires a lot of research and prayer! The seeds I bought from him came up one for one! I way overplanted as a result. Good problem to have.
Air tight: black plastic wrapped around inside and stapled covered Staples covered with tyvex tape.
top plastic: wrap around access with 1*3 or1*4 and use masonry form nails(double headed 16d) to secure the 1* material.
Staples only will not hold in a wind and snow load.
Im making a few with old windows and a few with plastic. Going to split up all my seedlings between each type and record my findings. Hopefully they both end up working out.
Use black felt paper The stuff that is used under roof shingles
Working on building a few of these myself over the next few days. Just an idea for people that may have materials laying around and not realizing they could be used for cold frames. In my case, I'm using some old sliding glass doors for my tops. Built the base to the dimensions of the door and gave it the same 35 degree slant. The sliding doors are heavy and can withstand snow with no worries. Gonna make a few smaller ones as well with old storm windows a neighbor had tossed out. Good luck with your project Luke and to everyone else working on growing through the winter!
One more thing as well - For insulating the air gaps, I had an old queen size memory foam mattress topper that I cut strips from and glued it to the lid's frame (basically free weather stipping). The weight of the sliding glass door against the memory foam does a wonderful job sealing up spots. As the foam compresses under the weight, it becomes more dense and lets out next to no air.
good ideas matt!
Nice build. the biggest advice I have (that you didn't mention) is to buy a drill. :)
Use clear silicone caulk - made for windows and doors - for sealing gaps.
Thanks for sharing this project, I've wanted to cold frame my raised bed for a while, but really couldn't afford one. The construction itself is within anyone's abilities to build, which is the best part.
I would add two more beams on your lid. The weight of the snow will not hold the the plastic sheet. Thanks for the video!
I have to say Luke, What a great video! I've been gardening for many years now and this is a great teaching moment for me! Although we do not get a lot of cold here in central Florida. This was great to learn! Thanks so much! Very informative!
I'm from southwest Michigan, been looking for a good video on how to cultivate morel mushrooms in my home or garden. Would that be something you're interested in doing/making a video about in the future?
Thank you once again MIGardener!!
"Give me a big enough lever , and i can move the world, or the cold frame!" my hubby being a contractor suggested plain old wood glue since it expands and is cheap. your cold frame inspired me to get the hubby building, starting plants tonight after work!THANK YOU! I agree the p ready made kits prices are ridiculous and don't look any better than yours!
Hmmm. Glad you mentioned escape of heat through the cracks. I have a few deep beds and I didn't fill in the gaps. There was some nice steam coming off of it. I bet now, that I'm losing all that warmth. I planted some spinach and lettuce a few weeks ago in the cold frames. Seeing sprouts! Lights are reclaimed glass door and window. Seems to keep the warmth in.
I'm going to try storage containers with the 6 mil plastic on top..
Hey! Did you figure out what to use to airtight your cold frame? I figured you have found the best solution by now? :) I have built 5 cold frames with this video, and am now stuck with what to use to airtight them. I don’t want to use glue since I will remove them in Spring. Looking forward to your response! Thanks :)
Awesome Brother! I’m going to make one this weekend. 👍😃
You can also get the plastic tighter and have more protection from the wind. By screwing on 1by1 s along the line of where you would normally staple. We used that on our last greenhouse.
I just built two of these today. Only I didn't finish the lids, because I'm working with 1/4" thick panes of glass. Any tricks on framing the glass ( 66" long by 29" wide) so I can make a lid out of it. I gotta say that if it's too involved, I just may end using your trick of double walled poly. And some reinforcement strapping over the poly before stapling it down.
You need to use flashing tape to seal the gaps. Your local building center should have some
Hey Luke, congratulations on surpassing the 350,000 subscriber mark. You're taking off buddy.
I would varnish the cold frame. 2 maybe 3 coats. This would seal the thin gaps in the frame plus it will last 3 times as long be for rotting away. That's just me though
Dope video! I'm on the way to the allotment now to finish a cold frame and thought let me check youtube see if I missed anything. You mentioned having the angle face the sun.. or something like that. I never even thought about that. 🙏✌
Simple if you don't have problems with cutting angles. 🙂
I've been waiting to see this. I am getting ready to build one to put inside my greenhouse for winter lettuce. Thanks for making this video.
I'm 40 miles south of you and my unheated porch reached 84 degrees today. Crazy heat wave. I was outside without a shirt, shoes or socks. Something like that or any greenhouse or low tunnel being air tight would worry me as I work a full time job and wouldn't be able to vent it.
You're a lifesaver Luke!! I was just thinking about cold frames and celery yesterday while turning my compost😀 Happy December in Michigan!
Hey love you guys! You don't need the stay attached to anything but the carbon copy one the one above can simply rest on the one under it and the "stay" will still keep it in line.
I have seeds sprouting all over my part of the garden that I sectioned off as part of a winter chicken run. If you plant some seeds and cover them with all those leaves you have around, they will sprout. I added about 4-5 inches of oak leaves to keep mud down. I feed some whole grains to my chickens. Oats, Wheat, Sunflower, Barley, Milo and one other I can't remember right now lol. I throw it out in this area, only covered predator proof fencing so it gets rained on. I'm in Oregon. If I take a pitch fork and dig around there are thousands of sprouts now, Dec. 30th 2019.
The chickens love them and the ones they miss will add nutrients to the garden. I was really shocked the Sunflower seeds had sprouted. I thought it had to be 60 or 70 degrees Fahrenheit for Sunfliwers to sprout.
I know the chicken manure has added some heat but it's a nice surprise.
I throw it all over so the wild birds are happy this winter also.
I feed birds with black sunflower seeds and if they don’t get eaten or dropped on the ground they sprout everywhere in my yard
Thanks for sharing, especially the tightening of the plastic is something that will help people. :)
Great project. Thanks so much!
Good Vid.
Another way to justify your build is the cost per its expected life span.
It would probably last at least 10 yrs (minus the plastic, so a little extra there in yr 6) so that would still be about $6.00 per year.
One plant per bed will return that factor and you will be actually getting dozens per bed so the cost is almost inconsequential when figuring your actual increased returns.
Ciao
Thanks for this great idea. God bless
1/2" foam insulation board is about $15 a 4 x 8 sheet. 2-3 sheets. I know this would increase your cost, but it would stop the air from escaping and add some insulation to maintain heat.
you could apply some felt to the frames opening edges to seal off air there
Would you want the top angled so that the top is perpendicular to the sun's rays during the time you want to use the cold frame?
I love it. RUclips should make a love it symbol. I am growing lettuce under a old clear plastic tub it is going good. I love you all.
Radishes actually germinated really well for me in the low 40s, black spanish, daikon and watermelon, so variety didn't make a difference and nearly every seed sprouted
BTW... I would wrap the outside with tyvec like others suggest...then consider mylar emergency blankets put on the inside in addition to bounce around the sun's rays just like you would do in a grow tent. You don't want it absolutely air tight... that as you know will lock in moisture and could cause a fungus issue.
Hi there! I've been thinking of using tyvek to line the INSIDEof my raised bed: 1) to make the wood last longer because im using heat treated pallet wood, plus i'm treating them with oil; and 2) for insulation. Do you think tyvek against soil would make it a point?
How did you get the air gap between the 2 layers of plastic?
Excited to build one like this for my 5th bed this spring!
Luke, Do you remember where you got your $5 - 6 ml, 25’ x 10’ clear plastic? I went on Amazon and they’re $25 and $28. Sure would love to find it cheaper somewhere else. We love your videos. I have learned so much from you. Watched a couple of your videos before we went to Virginia, and then We saw you at Front Royal at the homesteaders conference, but didn’t know who you really were then, and so when we heard about you from Jess at Roots and Refuge I tuned into your channel. That’s when I told my hubby, “I saw that kid in Virginia”, LOL. Thanks again for your videos.
Margie, Eddie, and Colleen Guy. From Southern Maryland.
“Hanging with the Guys “
Also, dumb question but when do you seed carrots and parsnips for a spring harvest?
What type of wood did you use? Treated or untreated? Also, was it a special type of wood? Home Depot can get confusing on all the selections.
This past week, I picked up lumber and storm windows left out for free. My cold frames cost me 8 screws each. Check out craigslist and FB free groups, ask around, keep your eye on free piles at the curb on trashed day, borrow your own storm windows. One Yard Revolution Patrick rocks the cheap cold frame.
I love this project but have no power tools ...or know anyone that can help! If it wasn't angled not sure if it would be much use...but I really love this design thanks!
Question - what about painting the inside black ?? Would that help the wood get warmer and then release it during the night ? Rigid insulation with the silver stuff on one side for the inside ? Thank's for the info. Stay safe and healthy. God bless
Hopefully the center support will be enough for the plastic when you get a foot of snow on top! My mini hoop collapsed under about 7 inches here in west Michigan.
Are you considering spreaders for the lid to lessen the snow / ice load on the poly? Consider foil wrapped insulation to tighten air gaps also. I know, always easy to offer thoughts after the fact. But hey, new and improved too...
Outstanding... just what I've been looking for. Thanks
@Migardener, how did this hold up?
I've been trying to grow tenderloins, but I think I'm planting them the wrong time of year.
If I want them ready for summertime BBQing, when should I plant them?
Thank you for info. Bless you.
I have to do that! Prob next years to do list.
This video is great...please keep up updated on how you use the cold frame...thank you!
Luke, thanks for all your videos, they are very informative.
Sorry if this is a repeat question I looked through the comments and didn't see it, but there are a lot of comments.
The 30ish degree tilt is that a constant or is it based on your Latitude in Michigan and someone living in the south would need to be steeper?
Very cool project! I hope you'll keep us updated on how your crops do with it. I'm very curious if slugs would find it a cozy wintering spot and become a problem.
Ok. Gotta have you one. Luke you rock.
thanks mark!
Just an fyi, in my high tunnel, when I know it's going to drop below 30 degrees, I cover my crops with crop covers...It's like a warm blanket for them :)
Please tell me you put bicycle wheels on one end and a handle on the other so that it wheels into place and away for the summer
Spray foam I think would work great
Great video, couldn't help but think of Patrick over at One Yard Revolution, especially when you mentioned the double layer of protection.
Next time put together with treated screws better. Use a piece of foam between the two layers of plastic with give a better air barrier. Use a small, a small furrowing strip of wood on the outside edges of the plastic will hold it down and in place better for weight and wind.
Watching this in december and my mouth is just watering at all the delicious veggies in your intro! Crispy, homegrown cucumbers are the absolute best! I'm longing for them and fresh tomatoes right now! 6 months to go!
hi there ,is your cold frame presure treated? I treated wood safe for organic veg?
This is great, I have to try it!!
Is a cold frame beneficial if you hardly get sun during the winter ?
thankyou this is amazing, 1 question how do you go with talk vegetables any ideas
Oh Snap! you got a new intro...it's been a few months since I've watched one of your videos. I would suggest to instead of closing the holes in the wood to utilize them to water the plants inside the frame with a gutter like system inside connected to the top hole where water goes in from the outer hole then to the other side into the gutter that is either just on one side (with maybe some PVC pipes to better disperse the water evenly through the bed) or wrapping all the way around the inside of the frame (still possibly with PVC pipe going into the center of the bed for more even watering) and maybe a funnel on the outside of the hole for easier watering or for direct rain watering with a cap for when it snows or freezes to better insulate the water still in the system and keep it from freezing over hopefully. That's what came to mind when I saw the holes in the frame and if you can use this suggestion please make an update video after you've tested it and made it work for you. Happy Gardening!!!
Great stuff Luke. $50 for a cold frame is awesome. I'm moving from Illinois to Phoenix but I love everything about season extension. Going to have to do the old reverse extension in Phoenix
Thank you. So going to make one for the homestead
Great tips on the second cuts! Thanks!
Any thoughts about using black felt paper to line the inside and or outside to help draw heat?
Great video, but that angle is NOWHERE near 30 degrees lol
Luke, this is fabulous! And you totally crack me up!! Mom of 5 who needs a good laugh.
Do you need to remove the cold frames in summer? Is it possible to keep them on if I don't have the space to store and just remove the plastic?
I would add a mid-point brace on the front and back. Also, did you place a thin spacer between the layers of plastic to keep an air gap?
Foam strip for sealing bed
Great video. We used to live near Williamsburg, VA, Seeing it is a replica of a colonial town, it too has cold frames of the past. I have always dreamed of making my own. Now I know how to do so. Thanks.
Great project. Running cables corner to corner will make the "door" more rigid and keep it square. Also, what about a plywood frame with rigid foam insulation?
Also, is this replacing the catapillar tunnel?
Am gonna save this.A smaller version for me can be made for nothing as I scrounge recycle wood for projects.Nice job.
does the cold frame need to face a certain direction?
I look forward to the updates. I want to see how cold it gets when you still have growth. I would also LOVE to see how much produce you get out of it and if the cost works out. LOL tightwads always want to weigh the costs... but if this extends your season 2 months on each end even on cold hearty crops...that is fantastic. Also... If it means you can get crops in 2 - 3 weeks earlier and keep them covered for a week or so after the last frost date... wow that could really give you a secondary crop. (I think you need 9 more cold frames if this works.)